Risks
by idkslytherin
Summary: Boarding school AU/ Months after moving in, George and Nora decide to take action in order to ease the constant fights between Casey and Derek. After being caught throwing a wild party, they reach a verdict: Derek and Casey had to change schools, more precisely, to a boarding school, where they would be without their family for months, forced to bond, and maybe something more...
1. Chapter 1: The party

RISKS

-Life with Derek fan fiction-

Boarding school AU

After moving in together, the Venturi/MacDonald families began noticing some heavy rivalry between siblings, especially between Derek and Casey. After a few months of testing the waters, and a party that destroyed the parents' trust, George and Nora finally decided to take action. Derek's erratic behaviour had always been an undercover problem, but George thought he wasn't powerful enough to correct him. But now Nora was there, and after she noticed a few changes in Casey, she felt it was time to fix things. The debates about the solution went on. Finally, they reached a verdict: Derek and Casey had to change schools, more precisely, to a boarding school in a neighbouring town, where they would be without their family for months on, forced to bond and maybe more…

Casey shifted uncomfortably on the floor, removing the last bits of shampoo from her forehead. Derek curled up, holding his knees against his chest, avoiding touching the cold tiles with his bare feet. They had sat in silence for a strange amount of time, trying to decipher the noises coming from downstairs, that had somehow gotten quieter as time went by. Derek let out a frustrated sigh, followed by a nervous lip bite. He was sure that was it. They were going to be busted by their parents, and punished for so long, their hair would grey by the time they could go outside again. Casey wanted to tell him off for continuously misbehaving when strictly told not to. She wanted to drown him in mockery and sarcasm, she wanted to hear him say he was wrong, that he regretted not following the rules. She wanted to see an apologetic glimpse in his eyes. Yet she couldn't. The words just wouldn't roll off her tongue. Her head was telling her to get even, to treat him the same way he treated her every day, but something in the back of her mind was making her feel _sympathy_ for Derek. Maybe it was the desperation kicking in, or maybe it was something else, but no matter how hard she tried, she ended up staying quiet.

"I know you want to scold me." Derek finally spoke, breaking the silence that was just starting to feel comfortable "Don't. Leave it to George and Nora."

"I wasn't." Casey replied, her voice trembling. Derek could always see through her bullshit.

"Oh, please." he huffed, staring at his hands "I bet you already have that condescending look printed on your face."

"You're wrong." she told him, enjoying his poor judgement but momentarily considering her next move "Look at me."

It took Derek a few seconds of encouragement until he could lift his eyes from the ground beneath him. The truth was that he was scared to face her, he was scared to know what she thinking at that moment; because he always knew what she was thinking. In the last few months he studied her, observed her behaviours, made her predictable in his eyes. Yet things were changing, the patterns were evolving. Nonetheless, he was more curious than afraid. And on an impulse, his eyes travelled slowly from the slightly stained tiles, to her. Her focus was already settled on him, her stunning features captured by the ominous bathroom light. Casey felt her chest tightening, as their eye contact became stronger, but simultaneously softer. She had a serious expression, but a bright spark in her ocean-like irises. Derek tried to read her face, he tried to understand the moment, but his mind was absolutely blank.

"Stop it," she chuckled after a few seconds "I feel like you're staring right through me."

"What are you afraid I'm going to find?" he questioned, arching up his eyebrow.

"The Derek in me." Casey smirked, tapping her fingers against her knee.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." he folded his arms across his chest, hiding his sly smile.

"It's what got us into this mess."

"Sometimes messy is good." Derek stated, provoking her.

"You really don't know me at all." she playfully rolled her eyes, noticing his attempt to cover up a quite visible smile.

"I know more than you think." he immediately replied, regretting his answer "About a lot of things."

"Oh yeah?" he nodded and she continued, curious "Do tell."

"I know George and Nora are arriving in close to 3 minutes, and I know they're gonna find Edwin and Lizzie under your bed."

"3 minutes?" he nodded once more "We have 3 minutes before we're thrown into the fire pit?"

"Yes." Derek shrugged "And I also knew you'd be dramatic about it."

"As if." Casey shot him a serious glare.

"Probably shouldn't have thrown a party the first time our parents leave for the weekend, huh?" he sighed.

"Why did you?" she asked, hearing a slight sad tone in his raspy voice.

"It's like people expect me to mess up, so I do."

"It was actually kinda fun though." she grinned, tightening her pony tail.

"This was fun? For you?" Derek asked, confused.

"Yes!" Casey laughed "I guess it's official; you've driven me crazy."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't a far drive." he smiled, hearing her soft laugh echo through the bathroom walls.

At that moment, they heard heavy footsteps on the hallway, and both of them feared the worst. In one quick movement, the door slammed open and George and Nora walked in, absolutely stunned by the state of the bathroom. Stains covered the floor and there were dirty towels thrown everywhere. Nora opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out as she fully noticed both Casey and Derek covered in shaving cream and shampoo. Casey glanced over at Derek, whose eyes were wide and whose face had 'regret' written all over it.

"Living room. NOW." George angrily spit out, pointing towards the door.

Nora exited along side him, who had put his arm around her, muttering something under his breath. Derek got up quickly, taking Casey's hand and pulling her up. He gave it a soft squeeze, before letting go as they entered the living room. George was pacing around in circles, as Nora let out several frustrated sighs.

"A study group, Derek?" he huffed, rubbing his temples "As soon as we heard that, we immediately turned around. I shouldn't have trusted you, I really shouldn't. But I did. Despite my best judgement, I trusted you. And now I'm more than disappointed in you."

"What were you thinking?" Nora continued.

"It's not that bad…" Derek stuttered, rubbing his arm in a nervous movement.

"Not that bad?" his dad sarcastically chuckled "The house looks like a crime scene! God, Derek, you really let me down…"

"Both of us." Nora added, letting out another puff of air.

"Wait," Casey courageously stepped in "Why do you assume it's all Derek's fault? Maybe I had something to do with the party too."

"What?" the three of them turned to her, surprised by her words.

"Did you have something to do with this?" her mother asked, her eyes widened.

"Yes." Casey sadly confessed.

"Well, if you both did this, then you can both clean this up." George immediately replied.

"We'll talk about this later." Nora narrowed her eyes at her daughter, quickly heading to the kitchen.

"Casey…" Derek called, his chest full and tight.

"You don't have to say anything." she assured, watching his worried expression.

"But I do…" he insisted, resting his hand on her thigh. "I can't believe… You fell for that!"

"What?" she asked, as he burst into a sadistic laugh.

"Have fun cleaning this up, Case." Derek winked, getting up and racing upstairs, leaving Casey speechless.

"Dickhead." she huffed, her blood boiling inside her veins.

—

THE NEXT MORNING

"George, we really need to talk." Nora said, leaning over the kitchen counter.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, taking a sip of his coffee.

"You really need to ask? This Derek/Casey situation is completely out of control. They fight everyday. And Derek's reckless behaviour is starting to corrupt Casey."

"I know Derek can be a handful, but don't you think you're exaggerating a bit?"

"No, I'm not. I think it's time we take some real action. You guys aren't alone in this house anymore, you know that, right? We're responsible for them. And it doesn't seem like some healthy rivalry anymore. Things are getting out of hand. We moved in together in the beginning of summer, and it's now mid September, and I see no changes." she spoke, taking in a deep breath.

"I agree honey, but maybe we should wait just a little bit more. Maybe after this whole party fiasco, they'll learn something." he tried to console her, chewing a strip of bacon.

"Does that really sound like Derek?" Nora arched up her eyebrow, trying to talk some sense into her husband "George, I just don't want this to affect our marriage. It was already a struggle to get where we are, and I feel like this will really affect us in the long run. And I love you. This can't be the reason we're not happy."

"I love you too, Nora." George smiled, giving her a quick peck "But how can we fix this? Derek is too self absorbed to listen to us, and Casey is too consumed into taking Derek's power away to care."

"Derek needs something he has never had before: discipline. And Casey needs to go back to her roots. Maybe we should change their school." she shrugged.

"Well, Derek isn't doing well in that area, that's for sure. Do you really think that if they went to a more exigent school, they could change their behaviour?"

"Maybe. I don't know, George. Maybe it's a risk we should be willing to take."

"But most of our problems are here, at home." he pointed out, taking another sip of his tasteless coffee.

"I know…" she sighed, before an idea struck her "What if we move them to a boarding school? I mean, think about it. They're really exigent, strict, but they teach them how to live on their own. And Derek definitely needs that. They're 2 years away from university, George. It's the perfect time."

"Isn't that a bit out of our reach? Financially, I mean."

"Yes, but with less work around the house, I could definitely find another job. I think this might have a shot of working out."

"Maybe, it sounds doable."

"Promise me you'll think about it." she begged "If this is something we're really considering, we need to get informed as quickly as possible."

"I promise." George nodded, stroking her cheek softly.

—-

1 WEEK LATER

"Hey, Case…" Derek called, squeezing his fork to stop himself from laughing "Sam told me something really interesting today."

"Derek, don't start." George warned, when the whole table realised their daily dinner fight was right on schedule.

"No, dad, it's quite interesting." he chuckled, as Casey shot him a deadly glare "You see, apparently our great pride Casey, fell at school; again. That's right everyone: Klutz is back, stronger than ever!"

"DE-REK!" Casey burst with rage, kicking him under the table, as Edwin and Marti giggled loudly "How can you be so insensitive?"

"How can you be so clumsy?" he mocked her, imitating her squeaky tone.

"Derek, I swear to God, I'll kill you!" she harshly spat out, throwing a piece of bread at his head.

"Good aim…" he admitted, a smirk drawn on his face "For a Klutz."

"You jerk!" Casey barked, getting up and running to her room.

"It's the third time this happened this week." Nora sighed, shaking her head "After dinner we're gonna have a serious talk."

"This can't go on." George nodded, with a stern voice.

"Come on dad, where's your sense of humour?" Derek laughed, tilting his head back and taking a bite of the piece of bread that had fallen on his lap.

"It left when you threw that party. And just like my trust in you, after that, it's not coming back." he said, immediately shutting Derek down, along with the rest of the family.

—-

"Casey?" Nora softly knocked on her door "We need to talk."

"I'm doing my french homework." Casey answered, leaning over her book, highlighting a few sentences.

"It's important." she tried to be assertive, something that never seemed to work around Casey. "Living room, please."

"Okay, fine." she sighed, closing her book and alining her pencil perfectly parallel to her notebook.

"What's this about?" the two kids asked, already sat side by side on the sofa.

"You." George pointed, standing in front of the tv "Both of you."

"What did we do?" Casey questioned, glancing over at Derek in disgust.

"I don't know. What didn't you do?" George sarcastically replied.

"Kids, we're done with your rivalries." Nora slowly explained "We gave you time to adjust, close to four months actually, but now it's time to take action."

"What… What kind of action?" Derek stuttered. He was beginning to feel something he didn't feel often: threatened and powerless.

"We're gonna change your school." George stated, crossing his arms across his chest.

"What?" his son nearly screamed, shifting in his seat. "You- you can't do that!"

"Oh, Derek, that's where you're mistaken! Not only _could_ we do it, but we're also doing it."

"But I just moved schools!" Casey complained, looking at her mother "You're not gonna make me be the new girl for the second time in just two months!"

"It's for the best." Nora said, as George gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"I can't believe this." she replied, attentively observing Derek, who had his head between his hands.

"Dad, Nora, this is crazy." he shook his head, scratching his chin "What school would you even put us in? I mean… Ours is the best one around."

"Well, Derek… Casey…" George took a deep breath "We're actually moving you to a boarding school."

"This is not happening." Derek fell back on his chair "This can't be happening."

Casey sat in silence, digesting the conversation. The initial shock was obvious, none of them were expecting their parents to make such a huge, defining decision like that. And while she could definitely see Derek freaking out from the corner of her eye, it didn't really feel all that awful to her. For a goal-oriented, meticulous, ambitious person like Casey, the thought of living in her school and having full responsibility over every aspect of her life, actually sounded rather appealing. All kinds of thoughts drifted through her mind, from how she would decorate her room, how she could organise her weekends, and especially how much she would avoid Derek on a daily basis. For a rushed moment, it felt like a flawless plan.

"I'm sorry things had to come this far." Nora apologised, bringing Casey back to reality "But you guys are making it impossible to live like this."

"This is a disaster." Derek insisted, earning a look from Casey, who felt strangely powerful noticing his worried state.

"I get it." Casey explained, her attention directed back to her parents "But mom, are you sure this isn't a weight on our finances?"

"It's for your wellbeing, and ours too. There's no price on that." Nora replied, knowing that if she told Casey she'd have to work two jobs, her daughter would carry that guilt forever.

"Dad…" the upset Derek tried to say, but George interrupted him.

"I know what you're going to say. It's not up for discussion; not with you guys anyway."

Derek fell back on the sofa, letting himself sink into his seat. Sure, not living with his parents sounded great, but at the same time, it would mean being at school all the time, which Derek wasn't a particular fan of. And plus, even though Derek hated himself for even allowing his brain to think it, it kind of felt like his parents were trying to get rid of him. Of course, he was never an easy child, or an easy anything, but surely he couldn't be bad enough to be sent away to a boarding school… It wasn't a certainty, but it definitely soothed his guilty mind. He glanced over at Casey, irritated by her obnoxious behaviour. Why did everything that upset him, seem to never be an issue for her? She was never satisfied with anything, but the moment she knows about something that'll be potentially great for her and shitty for him, a smile appears on her face. It was utterly annoying. There she was, leaning back on the cushions, biting her lip to stop a giggle from escaping her mouth, probably mentally planning out her new room, alphabetically organising all her books in her new white stands… All whilst he was struggling to even relax his muscles, ferociously breathing in and out, clenching his fists.

"I have to go call Emily!" Casey interrupted Derek's thoughts, quickly getting up and racing to her room.

"Dad, Nora, you can't do this." Derek tried to say, still attempting to change their mind. "Any other punishment is better than this! I'll do anything."

"You should've thought of that before you threw that party." George replied, stern like never before "Or before you decided to mock Casey constantly and throw the good house environment we were trying to keep, out the window. Go to your room now please, we'll discuss this tomorrow."

George left slowly, followed by Nora, who was avoiding eye contact with her sorry step-son. The living room emptied, leaving him ready to be consumed by his fatal thoughts. After the shock wave passed, he gathered the strength and courage to get up and return to his room. This unusual feeling was taking over him. He had never truly been familiar with such sensation, he couldn't even name it. As soon as he lied down in his unmade bed again, the thought struck him: defeat. That's what it was.

Oh, and how bitter it tasted…


	2. Chapter 2: Resentment

Chapter 2

"Derek…" Casey called softly, after glancing over her shoulder and noticing him standing by her door "You haven't spoken to me in two weeks. I really don't know what to do anymore."

Her eyes remained locked on him, as he leaned against her doorframe, his face tight with anger. Casey looked away after a few more seconds, attempting to return her attention to the boxes spread across her bed. It was their last day at home: a rainy, obscure Friday, before they had to leave to their new boarding school. Casey was thrilled, the news had settled quite well with her, as someone who had dreamt of being on her own for as long as she could remember. Derek, on the other hand, was dreading having to pack his things and leave his reign. He had been in charge of that house for as long as he could remember as well, and he wasn't exactly the best at dealing with change, especially those that didn't favor him in any way.

"I don't understand why you're mad with me." Casey sighed, fitting another blue shirt into the already over packed suitcase. "It's not my fault. You threw the party, and we got caught. I don't get why you're so mad! But I appreciate the silence, nonetheless."

She could still feel his presence, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him again. There was nothing else to be said. Even though she had been fantasizing about a quiet, peaceful existence without snarky and mean comments from Derek, she soon realized it was nothing like she thought it would be. It was agonizing; nothing she did was worthy of a response from him. Though she would never admit, Casey enjoyed getting on his nerves, it was gratifying in a complex way she'd rather not analyze. This time she couldn't help but overthink his lack of verbal expression: Was this really that painful for him? Or was he just pretending so that he could easily manipulate her? It was mentally exhausting to wonder if it was real. Derek had always been an exceptional performer; an expert in making people feel sorry for him, especially in situations like these, where it was almost all his fault.

But he wasn't the only one pretending. In fact, Casey had been pretending for the whole of those two weeks that it didn't bother her that Derek hadn't said a word to her. She glowed fake happiness, throwing smirks and excited looks whenever he didn't reply to her. In the back of her head, she suspected Derek knew it was bullshit, but it suited her to think she was faking it rather well.

"Please stop looking at me." Casey begged; her back still turned to him "If you have nothing to say, just go."

Derek cleared his throat, drawing attention to himself.

"Just don't speak to me when we get there." He sternly stated, his words like darts to Casey's chest. "Or even better, just don't talk to me ever again."

It was her turn to fall silent. Casey felt tears scratch her eyes and blinked them away quietly. She prayed Derek didn't realize what was going on, as she continued to pack her things, seemingly ignoring him. His footsteps gave away his exit, and Casey immediately turned to the door, kicking it shut, before finally allowing tears to break free. She would rather die before she let a minor emotional breakdown stun her efficiency, though. In fact, there was only one sure way to get over such a pathetic, vulnerable moment: by redirecting her focus back to her to-do list, which continued to grow even though Nora had already warned three times not to over pack.

And Derek… Well, he would break eventually; he had to. It was inevitable. He would surely get into trouble at the new school as soon as he set one foot into it. He would ask for her help, she would give him a lecture on why following the rules was crucial and even enjoyable, he would get mildly annoyed, she would cave and help him by, most likely, breaking the rules too. It was routine, familiar and comforting in a way she wasn't willing to explain. It was obvious this strange tantrum of his would pass, and until then, she would just have to ignore him as well. _Imitation is the greatest form of flattery._

"Casey, dear," her mother opened her door, letting out a deep, slightly regretful sigh as she noticed the amount of boxes spread throughout her daughter's room "You're not done with those yet?"

"Of course not." Casey replied, rubbing her teary eyes before turning to face a concerned Nora.

"Honey, we're sort of running out of space in the car…" Nora cleared her throat "And I'm sure you won't need all of this anyway! It would be nice of you to actually leave some space for the other students, don't you think?"

"If I can't come prepared, might as well not come at all." Casey nodded, seemingly agreeing with herself.

"I'm just saying… You will be wearing a uniform most of your time. Why are you packing up so many clothes?"

"I'm just leaving space for Lizzie…" Casey lied.

"You want her to move in here when you're gone?" Nora narrowed her eyes at her daughter, surprised.

"Well, why not?" She shrugged "The poor girl deserves some space."

"I thought she liked her room…" Nora sighed, suddenly a little saddened.

"Mom, I'm sure she does, but I don't know, I'll just let her know that it's okay if she wants to move in to my room."

"Yes, that's nice of you." Nora reached out, hugging her daughter quite tightly "But you really can't bring all of this with you on campus. Books and study-related objects are encouraged, but clothes are immensely frowned upon. Pack as light as you can, Casey, Derek is already occupying half the trunk with his guitars."

"That's so unfair and selfish." Casey pulled away from their hug, her hands tightening into a fist "That's so… _Derek."_

"If you feel like you really need something you didn't bring, me and George will drive up on the weekend and bring whatever you need, okay?" Nora calmed her, already making excuses to see her precious daughter that hadn't even left yet.

"Thanks mom, I really appreciate that." Casey smiled, pulling her mom into a last hug before pushing her out of the room "Now please leave, I have to unpack and make a list of new priorities to only pack the absolutely necessary."

"Don't stay up all night doing that though!" Nora warned her, already outside "We're leaving in the morning!"

Casey barely nodded, already with her mind elsewhere, mentally listing all her belongings and categorizing them in only 2 categories: _absolutely essential_ and _unnecessary in the foreseeable future._ After so much forced change in the past few months, Casey was looking forward to upgrading and moving into an environment that would actually benefit her Type A personality. She would miss her family, blood-related and even the one she gained when she lost everything else, but it was time for a new chapter. A chapter where she wasn't the only one miserable, and a new school that Derek didn't already control. That was a fair beginning for both of them.

Before she could finish her grand to-do list, exhaustion struck and guided her to her bed, for one last night. She would certainly miss her day-to-day in London. Endless phone conversations with Emily, a heart that skipped beats whenever Sam was around, and fighting with Edwin over what channel to watch on the TV next. But not having to share walls with Derek, and consequently, with his loud, distasteful music was absolutely freeing. And that was enough for now.

—

"DE-REK!" Casey screamed, banging repeatedly on the bathroom door "You've been in there for nearly half an hour already! Get out!"

No reply. She could hear him move around in there, his always loud stumping giving each of his movements away. _One last morning fight with Derek, I can do this._

"Please, please, please get out!" She continued to try to capture a reaction out of him, but it was as effective as talking to a wall.

The door handle turned and out got Derek, with a tired, annoyed expression drawn all over his face. His brown eyes were narrowed due to his sleepy state, and his hair was wet and uncontrollable. Casey swallowed hard, avoiding any more eye contact with him, unsure if she would turn to stone if she kept looking at him. He shoved her aside, his bare shoulder touching hers aggressively.

"Real mature." Casey exhaled, quickly shutting the door behind her with a strong kick.

Derek was driving her absolutely mad. Who knew him not saying a word to her would actually annoy her even more than them fighting? She needed distance from him, immediately. Even the bathroom smelled sickeningly like him and that overrated cologne he insisted on wearing every day. Her eyes drifted to the bathroom floor and her stomach twisted. If he had never thrown that stupid party, they would've never gotten into trouble. Well, at least not that time.

—

Derek was absolutely committed to his role: for the whole of those two weeks he stood silent and proud. Though temptation allured him continuously, he never once spit out a mean comment, nor did he insult or even acknowledge Casey. It was surely the hardest task he could've ever handed to himself, since his most important function was to, well, bother her. Which included annoying, tormenting her, make her yell, and to make her revolted with anything and everything. She was his favorite, and only target. Nothing satisfied him more than hearing her yell absolute non-sense at him, or hear his name with a tint of desperation and anger. It was the best way to pass the time. So, to put it simply, those two weeks were boring. Without his attempts to irritate Casey, and without her dramatic reactions, things around the house were just tasteless. He would still rather have boring than cave and talk to her, but it was still no fun to live like that.

"Still not talking to Casey, huh?" Edwin commented, pouring cereal into a dirty bowl and sitting on the kitchen with Derek "I'm impressed."

"Oldest trick in the book, Edweirdo." Derek shrugged, showing a cocky smile "We all know Casey lives for the attention, so the best way to really get to her is to ignore her entire existence."

"You're an actual evil genius, bro." The younger brother chuckled.

"I hope you've been paying attention all the years; now that I'm going to be gone, you need to the tormenter around here. I'm expecting you to live this legacy the right way. Don't let me down."

"I won't, I promise." Edwin nodded, placing his hand dramatically over his chest.

"Dad and Nora are getting softer by the minute, you'll have it so much easier than I had." Derek huffed, trying to hype his brother up, aware that he was probably feeling less confident in the prospect of being without guidance from now on.

"Sure hope so, D." Edwin half-smiled, eating another mouthful of cereal "You nervous about today?"

"When have you ever seen me nervous?" He rolled his eyes "Being nervous is for the weak. I'm a leader, Edwino, you know that."

"Right…"

"I conquered this school and will surely cause the same affect at the new one. It's all a matter of confidence."

"But preppy private schools are much more Casey's style. She'll probably adapt better than you."

"Untrue. She's a perfectionist. Something about the new school won't be as she wants, and she won't get anywhere. I, on the other hand, will shape my surroundings to my needs, something Casey could never do even if she wanted to. Edwino, don't you ever underestimate me ever again."

"Fine." Edwin shrugged "You got this."

"Great." Derek smiled, satisfied "Now go put my stuff in the car."

"Yes, Derek." His younger brother reluctantly got up, letting Derek win like always. "Speaking of the devil…"

Just as Edwin left the kitchen, Casey made her way in, her hair still slightly dripping down her back, wearing a tight fitting red top and simple jeans. Derek forced himself to look away, but his brain was questioning everything about that picture. Casey had never worn that top before. He was absolutely sure of that. With his keen sense of observation, he could probably recognize almost every article of clothing she owned, and until now, he had no idea the red top made the list. She would have never worn it any other day, all because she had this ridiculous idea that people wouldn't take her seriously if she drew attention to her body. Typical Casey: an advocate for women's right to wear whatever they want( knowing that should never diminish their character), but being too scared to face the judgement herself. Just typical Casey… Complex yet so simple.

That morning was just another example of that. Either she was so nervous about moving to another school that she'd be willing to completely change her image, or she had already packed all her favorite clothes and this was all that was left. If only he could ask her some incriminating questions and find out.

"Casey, are you ready to go?" George asked, pointing to her with a satisfied look.

"Almost." Casey replied, grabbing an apple "I haven't eaten yet. Sorry George."

"It's all good, until now we're ahead of schedule!" He smiled, enjoying that sensation for what seemed to be the first time "I'll just cross-check everything with Nora while you eat."

Casey nodded, pouring some orange juice on a glass, facing away from both him and Derek.

"And you…" George sighed, holding in a very obvious chuckle "Please stop using Edwin as a luggage carrier. Now I have to give him 5 bucks to shut up."

"Sorry dad, I'm saving all my energy to make the ladies at the new school fall for me." Derek smirked, believing every word he was saying.

"Talk about a mission impossible…" Casey huffed, rolling her eyes.

George eagerly waited for his son's reply, but silence awkwardly filled the space between them.

"Well, Derek, I'm sure the ladies will appreciate if we make it there on time. I'm waiting for you guys outside."

"Sure thing." He shrugged, getting up to leave with him as well "Just got to go check if Edwin did a good job carrying my guitars to the car."

His icy stare landed on Casey, who seemed bothered, something quite usual those days. She felt a shiver travelling through her body, she _hated_ when Derek looked at her like that. Even more than that, she _hated_ how much the whole situation was bothering her. She just hoped nobody noticed it… That much.

Nora asked one more time if everyone was ready before hurrying Derek and Casey to the car. Lizzie was slightly devastated she couldn't join the family on the trip, but Edwin was just thrilled he could sit all morning in Derek's chair watching cartoons. Without Derek around, the possibilities for entertainment were endless.

"Lizzie, I'll call you tomorrow as soon as I'm settled in, all right?" Casey assured her, pulling her sister into a hug "I promise."

"I can't wait to hear what you think about the new school." Lizzie smiled "Hope everything is as you want it to be."

"It won't be, without you in it!" she smiled, blinking away any hints of tears welling in her eyes "Take care of yourself and please don't let Edwin go more than two days without showering."

"That would be a public health disaster." Her little sister giggled, reaching out for another hug.

"I'll miss you, sis." Casey sighed, pulling away when she noticed George impatiently standing by the car.

Derek appeared suddenly behind them, now carrying a very upset Marti in his arms, as she silently cried.

"Smarti, it'll be okay, I promise." He assured her, giving her a loving kiss on the forehead.

The little one nodded without smiling, rubbing her teary, red eyes. Derek put her down, still linking his hand with her tiny one, as he looked at his father, begging for some type of parental intervention. George obliged, picking her up.

"Marti, the babysitter will be here soon." He said, also sending the message across to Lizzie. "Now Derek really has to go."

"Bye Smerek." Marti spoke through muffled cries.

"Be good, Smarti!" Derek kindly smiled, running his hands through his hair.

Lizzie took Marti's hand and brought her inside, where Casey could eye a very entertained Edwin who she knew wouldn't bother saying a heartfelt goodbye. He wouldn't make a scene like that, and Casey wouldn't take it personally; it was all part of his prepubescent priorities: steal Derek's favorite seat, and watch whatever felt inappropriate and grown-up on the TV.

Derek gave Lizzie an awkward but well-intentioned hug before getting in the car with Nora and George, who was already behind the wheel.

"Go back inside, Liz!" Casey told her, waving and blowing a kiss.

As soon as Lizzie got back inside with Marti, George started the car, immediately turning on the radio. He was expecting some sort of argument from Derek as to why they should be listening to heavy rock music, but his son was silent and strangely still. For the first few kilometers of the trip, Nora attempted to make conversation, forcing casual topics into something unnatural and awkward. Casey was upset about leaving her sister behind, and about having to sit next to a closed-off, absent-minded Derek, though she could never say it out loud.

"Kids," Nora spoke, after another few minutes of uninviting silence. "I know you're still mad at us… Especially you, Derek, but this is what is best of you, me and your dad truly believe that."

"Please…" Derek huffed, finally giving away a sign that he was still himself. "You already got the upper hand here; there's no need to make us the stupid, reckless kids that got sent away."

"That's not…" Nora sighed, not even daring to finish her sentence.

"Don't speak to Nora like that." His dad warned, gripping the steering wheel "You know you _are_ reckless, you've always been. End of story. Hopefully you'll learn something by living on your own. Maybe you'll learn something about responsibility from Casey."

Derek scoffed loudly at the mention of his perfect stepsister. What could he possibly have to learn from her? The only thing he did learn was how _not_ to live. Her monotonous lifestyle was his worst nightmare. Who the hell would want to sit at home, night in after night in, reading and studying whilst life happened right outside the door? It just wasn't for him. There was nothing the righteous suburban princess could teach him.

"George, I really don't think…" Casey tried to redeem the seemingly unfixable situation, before being brutally interrupted.

"Oh, shut up." Derek rolled his eyes, his breathing accelerated.

"I thought you weren't speaking to me." She replied, her voice icy and revolted.

"I could never deprive myself from the privilege that is telling you to shut the fuck up."

"Hey!" George impatiently raised his voice "Language!"

"Great sentence, Derek. Only took sixteen years to come up with it."

George let out another frustrated grunt, before stepping up the game and telling both of them to, indeed, shut the fuck up, which they happily obliged to. Seeing his dad that angry was a rare sight for Derek, who had always seen him as just one of them, the dude who was a lawyer by day and a teenager at home. He knew he was an authority figure in some way yet it had never felt like it. Now he was really taking charge, making changes instead of laughing at his son's jokes, and somehow that made him uncomfortable.

Casey shifted in the car seat, switching glances between the window and Derek, who thought that if ended up looking at her, he would actually end up killing her, or something else equally dramatic but less violent. There was just one thought that seemed common between them: that they had an unpleasant, long-ass year ahead of them.

—

Despite some lingering awkwardness, the road trip took less than expected, just under than two hours, all thanks to George's slow, meticulous driving and Derek's need to pee every half hour. Casey gave it her absolute best effort to not exchange dirty looks with Derek for the entirety of the drive, which was hard since he was also giving it his all to annoy her. Humming, whistling and talking about subjects that he knew would get under her skin… She knew it was definitely working, but he didn't have to.

By the time they reached Hamilton, Casey was more than exhausted from the whole ordeal. Her hands were begging to wrap themselves around Derek's neck, to choke him mercilessly, like a sweaty dream that surely only psychopaths had. Of course she didn't pay attention to that creepy, violent side of her thoughts, because if she did, her step brother would have stopped picking fights about ten minutes after they had first met. In any way, all she really wanted was to get out of the car and ignore Derek's presence for as long as humanly possible.

"George, aren't we a little lost…? Sweetie…?" Nora cleared her throat, noticing how far they now were from the city centre.

"I'm following the map. I think it's this way." George replied, with a fake, blind confidence only he knew how to demonstrate.

"I didn't realize the school was this far from the center."

"It's not that far…" Casey shrugged, enjoying the green pastures around them "Fifteen minutes at most, mom. We're just outside Hamilton now."

George slowed down, pointing to a grand school on top of a small hill.

"Isn't that it?"

"From the pictures, I think so." His wife nodded, admiring it with care.

"It's really quite beautiful, isn't it?" Casey noted, with a dreamy yet nervous tone to her voice.

As George drove the car up the hill and into the actual school, Casey's eyes were immediately drawn to the graceful architecture of its front. Like a surreal, old palace, it stood beautifully just above some granite, large steps, giving it some height and distance from the entrance gate. For a perfectionist like herself, it was the most harmonious mixture between classic and slightly modern, with its glass doors and a discrete pink color. Casey could only wonder what actually stood beyond those doors.

With a sharp, loud sigh, Derek let everyone know he was the only one still completely unimpressed with the sight. He could feel the weight of the next few months, or even years if Nora and George decided to, press on his chest, slowing down his breathing to a dangerous rhythm. For someone as usually expressive as he was, Derek like lying down and disappearing into the immense nothingness. There was something so wrong about the idea of him moving, something so ridiculously unnatural about him actually being there, it made him sick. If there was any time to be humble and admit he felt like a fish out of water, it was now.

Like he was reading his son's thoughts, George called out to him, after carefully parking the car by the main entrance.

"Derek, are you okay?"

"I am." He cleared his throat, deciding it was best to keep his dignity than to admit his misery. "Just tired… Oh, and hating everything about this unfortunate situation."

"Good." George nodded, getting out of the car "That's how people learn. Now help Casey with the luggage."

 _Good. That's how people learn. How fucking morally rich of him._

After shutting the car door with a feverish force he didn't know he had, Derek slyly placed himself behind Casey, who was clumsily struggling to get her bags and boxes out of the trunk. Instead of approaching her, he thought it would benefit both of them if he just stood by and watched her.

"Don't break anything, Klutz." Derek warned, letting his presence known.

"How about I break one of your guitars, huh, Derek?" She fought back, turning around to face him.

"Don't you dare touch any of them!"

"Casey, please calm down." Nora intervened, gently grabbing her arm.

"Yes, Case…" Derek smiled "Just calm down."

"Oh, fuck off."

—

A/n: okayyy hi! It's literally been over a year, so I don't expect any of you to care that I updated, but here it is, chapter 2 of Risks!

I can definitely promise the next one won't take a freaking YEAR, but hope you enjoy! It was a boring, filler chapter but the best is yet to come… I think. Leave reviews if y'all still alive :)

Rita x


	3. Chapter 3: Beginnings

A/n: Hi! Hope everyone is doing well. This is a short, and if I'm being honest, kind of boring little chapter, but it had the purpose of setting up the school and initial vibe I'm going for. Anyway, what I really came to say was that I know that in the 1st season of LWD they were 15, but that is a little young for what I have in mind for this story. So I thought about putting them in the 11th grade, 16 going on 17!

Hope you understand. If you like this chapter, leave a review so I know if anyone is still reading :)

 **Chapter 3**

It seemed like the room was getting smaller. The beige walls were slowly closing in on him, and it was suddenly much harder to breathe. The dry air scratched the back of his throat, and small droplets of sweat dripped down his forehead. All he could do was chew the inside of his cheeks, taste those microscopic drops of blood, and wait for his heart to stop beating like he had just had a close encounter with death itself.

 _Was this what a panicked Derek looked like?_

Casey felt the sudden urge to look at him.

They were sitting in the school's Headmistress' office, their uncomfortable chairs facing her and her grand, wooden desk, that was a little too detailed and excessive for Derek's taste. They both knew exactly why they were there, even though at the moment nothing came to mind, as their brains were simply a blur of accelerating thoughts and memories.

Derek could sense Casey's eyes on him, her gaze so intense it made his skin itch. He knew she was burning through him with those icy irises, but he didn't dare to lock eyes with her, dreading the knot that tightened his stomach whenever they exchanged heavy, powerful glances like those.

Casey watched him nervously lick his lips. She wasn't even listening to what their Headmistress was saying, even though she knew she should be. All she could concentrate on was on how angry she was. Angry at Derek, for stirring up trouble, again, and for involving her in it, especially when she had no desire to be associated with him whatsoever. Angry at herself, for standing once again by his side, and for allowing herself to be dragged into situations she never imagined possible. The blood was pumping rhythmically in her ears, making her head hurt slightly, and her jaw was clenched to avoid a loud scream from escaping her mouth.

"Mr. Venturi, your guardians warned me you thought of yourself as a… Rebel." Casey suddenly caught mid-sentence, having no idea what lovely speech had anticipated that hit. "I was willing to look past it, and Lord knows I turned a side eye to a lot of your less acceptable behaviors, but I am afraid this is as far as I can bend before I break. With that being said, I hope you understand this means a good two weeks to a month of detention, along side Ms. McDonald of course, and a final warning to you both. Next time something like this happens again, and I say this with much regret, you will both be expelled."

Derek swallowed those words whole, with an unknown sensation electrifying every inch of his body, making his sweaty skin want to crawl. When did everything become so complicated? Of course, he knew the answer to that, it was sitting right next to him, breathing heavily and tapping her foot against the floor. It was all her fault for ruining his life; something he knew she would inevitably do since the first time he looked her in the eyes.

All Casey felt at that moment besides anger was shame. Shame for not feeling more outraged towards a threat of expulsion, and shame for caring so fucking little about what that woman was saying. It was all Derek's fault: his inability to give a fuck was turning her into someone she wasn't, or someone she never thought she could be.

Her head ached as she remembered the first time they had sat in that office: she swore it would be a 'new era', the time for her prosperity and happiness. It was actually laughable how she failed to predict that Derek would bring chaos to her life once again, but at least now she knew that that change of scenario had done nothing but enhance his needs to be a fucking dickhead.

 **5 months earlier**

"I would just like to thank you for this opportunity and for meeting with us so late into the first semester!" Nora politely smiled, taking a seat next to George, who clearly just wanted his wife to guide the conversation.

"No problem at all, Mr. and Mrs. Venturi." The Headmistress, an old, seemingly stuck-up woman replied. The use of his last name in regards to Nora made Derek want to roll his eyes. "I am sure there won't be a problem with them starting a bit late, just as long as they study hard and give it their best effort to meet the rest of the students!"

That thought alone was enough to make Derek laugh, which he immediately tried to cover up with a fake cough once he realized that George was eyeing him attentively.

"I can guarantee I will do my best to catch up in the curricular area." Casey nodded, smiling excitedly. _What a weirdo. She's literally from outer space,_ Derek thought, his lips parting in disgust.

"As will Derek, surely." Nora added, with a slightly threatening tone to her mellow voice.

"How wonderful. But first, I must introduce myself properly." The Headmistress cleared her throat, looking directly at Derek and Casey "My name is Isabel Hastings, but you will know me as Mrs. Hastings or whatever new nickname your classmates have invented this year."

An uncomfortable silence settled in the room.

"The important thing to know is that, after this first week, I don't want to see either of you being called into my office. If you have a problem, do not hesitate to contact me, but I really would rather not hear that you got yourselves into trouble or anything of that sort."

"Understandable." Nora nodded, gripping George's hand as she fearfully imagined the things her stepson would get himself into during that year.

"What else did I have to say…?" Mrs. Hastings mumbled to herself, shaking her head "Oh yes, your schedules are awaiting you in the administrative office as well. You will both be in the same class, at least for a few of the subjects, it was the best I could do given the classes' size and your late signing to the school."

 _Ah, well done. Can't wait to be in the same class as her again._

"Also, your dormitories are in the same building. There are halls A and B, gender appropriate obviously, and on different floors. In every floor there are bedrooms, a shared space for leisure, kitchen and study space. Make use of the spaces available to you. I'm sure the other students will give you the rest of the important information to you. Ah, there is a sort of 'prefect' responsible for each floor, if there are any complaints or questions to ask, it's them you have to turn to."

Casey was absorbing each sentence with such ease and happiness. It made so much sense for her to be back at such an elite, organized school. _Derek won't last a minute this far outside his comfort zone._

"And finally, the weekends are free days. You can wear your regular clothes, given they apply to our dress code; freely roam around campus and, with authorization, you may leave the school grounds for special occasions or events. The curfew on weekdays is 11 pm, and on the weekends it's 1 am." She gave a polite smile "Any questions?"

"Is there any possibility of joining extracurricular activities this semester?" Casey eagerly asked.

"I am afraid there aren't any openings left. But I will give you a list of the activities and clubs we have in the school and you can think about joining in the next semester."

"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Hastings, it has been a pleasure to meet you." Nora rose from her chair, reaching to shake the lady's hand, as George copied her.

—

They were already standing at the school's entrance for a final goodbye when the thought of leaving her daughter in another city really sank in for Nora.

"Sweetie, you really don't want me to help you unpack into your new room?"

"I love you mom, but you are much messier than me. You know I have my own methods that work well with my personality."

"All right…" Nora sighed, closing in to hug her "I'm going to miss you so much, sweetie. Call me whenever, okay?"

"I'll miss you too, but it's not even 2 months until Christmas break! I'll be fine."

"I know you will, I trust you, Casey." Nora nodded, and her daughter felt her heart drop.

"Derek, please understand this was the best decision…" George tried to say, but was quickly interrupted.

"For who?" Derek laughed, "For the rest of your family, I bet."

"Don't be that way."

"Save it, dad. Just leave me alone and go enjoy your new life with some peace and quiet. I'll try to do the same."

Nora heard the interaction and appeared behind George, not daring to say anything to her stepson. He was resentful and reckless; no good could come from her intervention.

"Just take care of yourself, Derek." His father sighed, resting a hand of his son's shoulder. "I want nothing more but to be proud of you."

"You want to change me." Derek corrected him, slowly taking his father's hand off of him. "That's it."

Nothing about that conversation was sitting well with the parents, who decided it was just best if they left. Nora gave one last tight hug to Casey, holding in a few tears, and lightly passed her hand through Derek's back, hoping he would spare her the embarrassment of flinching. George awkwardly hugged her stepdaughter as well, before they both got into the car and drove away, allowing Casey to let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

She picked up her bags from the floor and, without looking at Derek, walked towards the main building, hoping to settle in her new room before lunch time.

But, before she could get far, something stopped her.

Derek had grabbed her by the wrist, and with a swift but firm movement, pulled her closer to him. She felt her breathing get all fumbled, her eyes wide and concentrated on his closed-off expression. They were definitely too close for her liking. He unclenched his jaw and parted his lips, controlling his movements with precision and a smoothness she didn't realize was possible when someone appeared so unbelievably mad.

"Let me make this very clear." He started, tightening his grip even more around her thin wrist "If anybody in this goddamn school finds out we come from the same house, the same city even, I will make your stay here absolute hell."

Casey stopped for a few seconds. _Not that we're semi-related, not that we're family, but that we live in the same house,_ she thought, _that's what he doesn't want people to know. Interesting._

"If you think I want anyone to know about that, you're fucking losing it, Venturi. Now let go of me before I give _you_ a piece of hell."

Her eyes had suddenly turned a misty blue and green, like a furious ocean during a dark storm. He let go of her immediately, not being able to take in her expression, and watched her storm off, huffing and mumbling under her breath until she was out of sight.

 _That was going to be a fucking awful year._


End file.
